Kobe watched He Ximeng with envy. Harris had not put him on the court, and He Ximeng's partner was still veteran Scott.
Scott, paired with He Ximeng, didn't get many chances to shoot. However, on defense, Scott demonstrated the qualities of a veteran. He was diligent and played very steadily, showing no dissatisfaction at not being able to touch the ball.
On the forward line, Coach Hasley fielded O'Neal, Ceballos, and Eddie Jones.
Three core players, two reserves.
As the game started, He Ximeng lobbed the ball to O'Neal in the post. O'Neal backed down Francovitch, shoved him aside with his rear, and finished with a two-handed dunk. At that moment, the referee's whistle blew. O'Neal thought it was an and-one, but instead, he was called for an offensive foul!
O'Neal's eyes widened, and he spread his hands, explaining to the referee that he hadn't committed any foul. However, the referee ignored him and gave the ball to the Timberwolves.
The Lakers fans in the arena immediately let out a barrage of boos. He Ximeng came over and patted O'Neal on the back, telling him not to chase after the referee anymore.
"It's just one play, let it go..."
Although O'Neal was unhappy with the referee's call, he was satisfied with He Ximeng's rousing words.
"You're right! Next play, we'll strike back hard..."
Turning around, O'Neal was very aggressive on offense. He not only prevented Francovitch from making any progress but also successfully interfered with Terry Porter's layup, nearly blocking it!
The Lakers successfully defended the Timberwolves' offense. He Ximeng advanced the ball and lobbed it to O'Neal again!
This time, O'Neal didn't shove Francovitch aside. Instead, after one dribble, he passed the ball to He Ximeng on the perimeter!
After the lob pass, He Ximeng used Eddie Jones' off-ball movement to get a shooting opportunity in the low post on the right side.
The moment O'Neal dribbled, he saw He Ximeng's right arm raised high and unhesitatingly passed him the ball. He Ximeng caught and shot, and in an almost open situation, he made another three-pointer!
After making the shot, He Ximeng excitedly high-fived Eddie Jones and O'Neal in celebration!
This basket was primarily due to Eddie Jones' high-quality off-ball screen, which created an open look for He Ximeng on the wing.
Secondly, it was thanks to O'Neal's decisive pass, which did not waste the efforts of He Ximeng and Eddie Jones.
With these three points, He Ximeng successfully helped the Lakers take the lead, eliciting cheers from the Lakers fans.
However, on the other end, Garnett used a post-up combined with a side dribble and a close-range jump shot to help the Timberwolves regain the lead.
He Ximeng wanted to lob the ball to O'Neal again, but Garnett rotated from the wing to defend, blocking O'Neal's pass.
He Ximeng then passed to Eddie Jones on the wing. Eddie Jones drove to the low post for Ceballos. Facing Garnett's rotation, Ceballos didn't force a shot. Instead, he passed to Scott, who was cutting. Scott caught the ball and hit a mid-range pull-up jump shot!
This play showcased the Lakers' excellent ball movement and fully executed the offense Coach Harris envisioned. Harris on the sideline shouted "Beautiful!" and applauded non-stop.
Following this, the Lakers successfully defended another Timberwolves possession. O'Neal grabbed the rebound, passed it to He Ximeng for a fast break. He Ximeng executed a signature Rose-like crossover, maintaining speed, and blowing past the Timberwolves defenders attempting to slow him down, successfully getting an opportunity to attack the basket.
However, He Ximeng glanced back at his teammates and the defenders.
If Kobe were on the court now, it would be time for the two rookies to execute their unspoken chemistry. But unfortunately, Kobe was still benched by Coach Harris. Following behind him were Eddie Jones and veteran Scott. And of course, there was Garnett, moving quickly like a giant spider.
In a flash, He Ximeng calculated his speed towards the basket and Garnett's defensive rotation speed, realizing he had a fifty percent chance of being blocked by Garnett.
For the sake of prudence, He Ximeng deliberately slowed down for half a beat, waiting for Garnett to close in and for his teammates to catch up.
Then, choosing between the basket and his teammates, he passed to a teammate!
Eddie Jones had just created a beautiful off-ball shooting opportunity for He Ximeng. He Ximeng reciprocated by returning an open look at the top of the arc to Eddie Jones.
Eddie Jones' three-point shooting percentage in the previous two seasons was 37%, making him the Lakers' three-point king and their most stable three-point shooter!
Of course, this status of the team's three-point king was likely to be challenged this season.
In the previous game, He Ximeng shot 3-for-4 from three-point range, an impressive 75% accuracy.
In this game, He Ximeng hadn't left the court yet, but he was already 3-for-4 from three-point range, with an expected accuracy of no less than 50%.
With a swift motion, Eddie Jones hit a transition three-pointer, earning He Ximeng an assist!
Coach Harris, seeing He Ximeng pass up the drive and instead choose to pass, was very displeased. He was about to loudly encourage He Ximeng: "Be brave, don't fear contact..."
However, upon seeing Eddie Jones easily make a three-pointer on the fast break, Harris wisely chose to remain silent.
Three-pointers, truly delicious!
The game continued. On the Timberwolves' side, Gugliotta drove strong against Ceballos, drawing a shooting foul.
Gugliotta made both free throws, helping the Timberwolves tie the score again.
On the subsequent possession, He Ximeng brought the ball past half-court, loudly reminding O'Neal in the post to be ready to receive the ball while calling for Eddie Jones to set a screen on the wing. This successfully distracted Triburt. The moment Triburt's attention shifted, He Ximeng rose up and took a jump shot.
The opportunity was there, but the ball was unkind, hitting the rim and bouncing out.
Fortunately, O'Neal out-rebounded Francovitch and Garnett, secured the offensive rebound, took one dribble, and finished with a powerful dunk!
The Timberwolves called a timeout. Coach Saunders was very unhappy with his team's current performance. Lack of concentration on the perimeter and poor rebounding on defense were issues that should not have occurred.
On the Lakers' side, Coach Harris checked the clock. With the rotation time nearing its end, he directly substituted He Ximeng out of the game and brought in Van Exel.
During this rotation period, from the end of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Lakers, led by He Ximeng, had ignited a scoring spree! Yes, it was led by He Ximeng!
The Lakers had gone from trailing the Timberwolves by 11 points to leading by 2 points, outscoring their opponents by 13 points!